Optical disks, such as compact discs (CDs) or digital video disks (DVDs), are a ubiquitous data storage and distribution media. Small (120 mm in diameter) and thin (˜1.2 mm), these disks are typically sold or stored in standard-sized plastic “jewel” cases. Traditionally, these cases display printed material on the front and back covers and/or in the interior, and the disk is almost always restrained by a small plastic cleat grasping the medium by the center hole.
Billions of storage medium have been sold worldwide. Yet current packages exhibit a number of problems for manufacturers and consumers. For example, the standard CD/DVD “jewel” case is made from styrene plastic, which is fragile and brittle, causing it to crack relatively easily. In addition, the hinges of the case may shatter, even on the first time it is opened. Second, the case is sometimes difficult to recycle because it is constructed from a multitude of dissimilar materials. Third, it is often difficult to tell whether the case contains a storage medium or is empty.
Many other less common storage medium cases exist. Some are merely paper sleeves. However, these are 1) incompatible with CD/DVD storage units with conventional jewel-case-sized slots having a standard depth and/or thickness, 2) not sufficiently protective of the storage medium, 3) easy to shoplift, and 4) difficult to index because they lack a spine on which to print a title. Other designs are more elaborate, including ones incorporating springs, paper folios, and plastic mechanisms. However, these designs are expensive to manufacture and difficult to recycle.
In addition, conventional cases typically include components composed of a rigid material which are configured to interact or engage with one another in order to lock or latch conventional jewel cases in a closed configuration such that the storage medium is secured within the case. However, the typical construction of such locking mechanisms requires the use of a hard material (e.g., plastic), which is susceptible to breaking and/or cracking. In contrast, existing storage medium cases made of non-rigid materials do not include a mechanism for locking the case.
Accordingly, a need exists in the art for a storage medium case that is amenable to mass production, constructed from eco-friendly and recyclable materials which are not susceptible to breaking or cracking, which is capable of locking to protect the storage medium, and that allows one, without opening the case, to determine whether the case contains storage medium or is empty, while maintaining the utilities and functionality of a standard plastic “jewel” case.